This invention relates to animal traps of the type used for sequential trapping and collecting a number of small rodent-type animals such as rats or mice.
It is known to provide baitless-type mouse or rat traps which utilize the animal's inherent curiousity to lure it into a capture opening or the like in which one or other kind of trigger mechanism is actuated that in turn operates a transfer mechanism by which the animal is moved into an escape-proof collection chamber or compartment. Such traps are generally self-setting so that they can be used to trap and collect a number of animals, dependent on the size of the collection chamber and the number of trapping and transfer operations the trap can perform if it utilizes power means of limited duration to perform the various operations.
One known form of repeating trap of the above type comprises a housing defining a trapping passageway with entrances at either end and a collection compartment adjacent to the passageway. A rotary cylinder having radially extending vanes is mounted in the housing in such a manner that two adjacent vanes form the opposite longitudinal wall to the passageway. The cylinder is spring urged to rotate in one direction and an escapement type mechanism holds the cylinder against rotation until a trigger in the passageway is pressed by an animal. On depression of the trigger, the escapement mechanism is released, the cylinder rotates rapidly to sweep an animal from the passageway into the capture compartment and the escapement mechanism then arrests the cylinder with the next succeeding set of vanes defining the passageway walls so that the operation can be repeated as successive animals enter the passageway until the spring runs down.
It has been found with the above arrangement, however, that as the spring runs down, there may not be sufficient force to sweep an animal from the passageway into the collection compartment, the cylinder may come to rest in an intermediate position leaving an escape opening between the collection compartment and the passageway and further, that it may under certain circumstances be possible to rotate the cylinder in the reverse direction allowing access to the passageway for animals in the collection compartment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a repeating animal trap of the type described having a wind-up type power means which can operate reliably to sweep successive animals into a collection compartment of the trap throughout the entire duration of operation of the power means.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a repeating animal trap of the type comprising a trapping passageway, a collection compartment and a sweeping mechanism which is designed effectively to preclude animals in the collection compartment from re-entering the trapping passageway.
Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical and readily portable repeating animal trap which can operate in any convenient location without the need for an external power source.